Falcons Owner Discusses Team’s Offseason
Earlier this week, veteran NFL reporter Peter King wrote in his “Football Morning in America” column that Falcons owner Arthur Blank “is getting restless.” However, in a statement to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Blank said that wasn’t the case, as the owner was happy with the organization’s offseason.
“I’m feeling very good about what (general manager) Thomas (Dimitroff) and (coach) Dan (Quinn) have done this offseason,” Blank said. “We have some key guys getting healthy again, the draft picks are getting up to speed, the new coordinators are meshing well and I’m confident we’re going to be ready to go for a very competitive training camp. I like where we’re going.”
The Falcons have been especially focused on improving their offensive line this offseason. The front office used a pair of first-rounders to select linemen Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary, and they also added projected starter James Carpenter via free agency. The team’s other notable offseason moves include signing defensive linemen Adrian Clayborn and Tyeler Davison, and they also added backup tight end Luke Stocker. The Falcons even reshaped their coaching staff, hiring Dirk Koetter as their offensive coordinator and Ben Kotwica as their special teams coordinator.
However, it isn’t unfair to wonder if the Falcons are floundering. As King noted in his article, the team is 18-17 over their past 35 games (a string that starts with their devastating Super Bowl loss to the Patriots). Furthermore, the team is set to pay quarterback Matt Ryan $30MM over the next half-decade, and they’ll presumably be paying wideout Julio Jones a lucrative contract, as well.
The Falcons have head coach Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff under contract through 2022. Their deals would indicate that their fates are tied together, but Blank previously said the duo isn’t necessarily linked if the 2019 season goes poorly.
Falcons Sign Rookie Chris Lindstrom
The Falcons have signed first-round guard Chris Lindstrom, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Lindstrom, the No. 14 overall pick in the draft, will receive a four-year, $14.6MM deal with an $8.6MM signing bonus. 
With that, the Falcons have now signed their entire 2019 draft class. Here’s the rundown, via PFR’s NFL Draft tracker:
- 1-14: Chris Lindstrom, G (Boston College): Signed
- 1-31: Kaleb McGary, T (Washington): Signed
- 4-111: Kendall Sheffield, CB (Ohio State): Signed
- 4-135: John Cominsky, DE (Charleston): Signed
- 5-152: Qadree Ollison, RB (Pittsburgh): Signed
- 5-172: Jordan Miller, CB (Washington): Signed
- 6-203: Marcus Green, RB (Louisiana-Monroe): Signed
Lindstrom has an NFL-ready body at 6’4″ and 310 pounds. Lauded for his athleticism, many evaluators view him as an ideal fit for zone blocking schemes. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein offered up high praise of the Boston College product, comparing him to Browns standout guard Joel Bitonio.
Falcons Asst GM Scott Pioli Steps Down
Falcons assistant GM Scott Pioli has stepped down, according to a team announcement. Atlanta’s press release offers little in the way of reasons for Pioli’s decision, except to note that he “wants to pursue other opportunities.” 
Pioli joined the Falcons in 2014 after serving as the Chiefs’ GM for four seasons. Before that, Pioli spent time with the Patriots, Jets, Ravens, and Browns.
“We understand and respect the decision Scott, Dallas and their family have come to today and wish them nothing but the best,” Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said. “Over the last five years Scott has not only provided tremendous value to me, but to the entire the Falcons organization. He is a dear friend and will be missed within our organization. We are continuing to assess the structure within our organization and move forward with our next steps.”
Meanwhile, Pioli says that he never intended to stay with the Falcons for the long haul.
“When I accepted this position more than five years ago, we all believed this would likely be a two or three-year working relationship,” Pioli said. “I came in to work closely with Thomas on personnel structure, processes and decisions. I loved the concept, was confident I could provide value and have enjoyed the challenge. Now, after more than five years with the Falcons, I am ready for a change. I want to thank all of my co-workers at Flowery Branch as it has truly been an honor to be a part of this organization and I am thankful to have been a part of this football team and the Falcons family.”
It’s not immediately clear whether Pioli has his next opportunity lined up, but there is a newly available GM vacancy in New York.
Andy Levitre Retires From NFL
This is the end of the line for former Falcons guard Andy Levitre. On Tuesday, Levitre announced his retirement via social media: 
“Unfortunately, due to injury my body won’t allow me to continue any longer,” Levitre wrote. “Thank you to my wife and children, my family, friends, coaches, teammates and all of the fans who supported me on this journey.”
Levitre came to the Falcons via trade in 2015 and started every game of his first two seasons in Atlanta. Unfortunately, injuries began to slow him down in 2017. In the last two years, Levitre tore both of triceps and was limited to just two games in 2018.
This wasn’t an easy decision for the veteran – in March, Levitre indicated that he would not retire. But, on the eve of his 33rd birthday, Levitre has decided to hang ’em up.
Before joining the Falcons, the former second-round pick spent time with the Bills and Titans. He leaves the sport after playing in 143 games (all starts) over the course of ten seasons.
Latest On Jarrett, Allen, Neal
- The Falcons have until July 15 to work out a long-term extension with franchise-tagged defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, but GM Thomas Dimitroff recently conceded that Jarrett may play out the 2019 campaign under the tag, which suggests that the two sides still aren’t particularly close on a new contract. Dimitroff said (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), “I’m confident that something will get done one way or the other. If it doesn’t, we have a year to continue to talk about it.”
- The Falcons‘ starting safety tandem of Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, who are recovering from major injuries that ended their 2018 seasons prematurely, are both expected to be at full strength by the time training camp begins in July, as Ledbetter notes in a separate piece.
Extension Candidate: Austin Hooper
With the Falcons’ front office focusing its efforts on star wide receiver Julio Jones at the moment, it stands to reason that contract negotiations for other key players would take a temporary backseat. But once the Jones situation is resolved, Atlanta could turn its attention to an extension for tight end Austin Hooper, who became a reliable target for Matt Ryan in 2018 en route to his first Pro Bowl bid.
Now that Hooper has completed his third year in the league, he is eligible for a new contract. And since the Stanford product was a third-round selection, he cannot be kept under club control via the fifth-year option, so he will become an unrestricted free agent next year if he and the Falcons do not agree to an extension before then.
The market for tight ends has not taken off in the same way that the markets for edge rushers and quarterbacks have, so it would behoove the Falcons to commit a relatively small percentage of their cap space to a rising player who could be a fixture on the offense for years to come. Two of the best tight ends in the league, Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz, are making less than $10MM per season, and even Rob Gronkowski was unable to crack the eight-figure barrier before his retirement. The Bears gave Trey Burton a four-year, $32MM pact last offseason based largely on Burton’s upside rather than his production to that point in his career, so it may take a little more than that for the Falcons to keep Hooper. Given the ever-rising salary cap, though, that does not seem like too steep of a price to pay.
Hooper lasted until the third round of the 2016 draft due to concerns about his hands and route-running, but he has largely quieted those concerns over his first three years in the league. And while his receiving ability is going to be what gets him the payday he’s seeking, he was an above-average performer in terms of run-blocking and pass-blocking last year, per Pro Football Focus’ metrics.
Advanced analytics from PFF and Football Outsiders still peg Hooper as more of a solid player than an elite one, but his trajectory is quite promising just the same, and when a club extends a player, it often makes sense to pay for trajectory rather than past performance.
In 2018, Hooper caught 71 passes — on 88 targets, for a league-best 81% catch rate — for 660 yards and four touchdowns. He may never become the threat that Kelce and Ertz are, but the Falcons don’t necessarily need that. They need a dependable outlet for Ryan who catches passes that are thrown his way, who can create mismatches over the middle of the field, and who can make defenses pay for focusing their attention on other players (like Jones).
Hooper represents all of those things, and he should only get better. A five-year, $42.5MM pact with $20MM or so in guarantees seems to make sense for both sides.
Julio Jones Making Progress With Falcons On Extension, Will Report To Minicamp
- We heard all the way back in March that the Falcons were nearing a deal on an extension with Julio Jones, and then nothing ever materialized. Jones held out briefly last offseason because he’s severely underpaid at the moment, and all indications have been they would get a deal done this year, but there hasn’t been much progress recently. Jones stayed away from the team’s voluntary offseason workouts, but things still appear to be headed in the right direction. Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff said today he’s “very encouraged” by the talks he’s had with Jones’ agent, per Jeff Schultz of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Both parties are in a good place. There’s no timeline but I’m not worried. Julio will be around while we’re working on it,” he continued. In a separate tweet, Schutlz writes that Dimitroff said Jones will be at this year’s mandatory minicamp after skipping it last year, and Jones could even participate in some voluntary OTAs coming up.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/19
Today’s minor moves will be posted here:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Tony Brooks-James (Oregon)
- Waived/injured: RB Jeremy Langford
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Josh Moon (Georgia Southern), OL Jordan Agasiva (Utah)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Spencer Schnell (Illinois State), DE David Kenney, OL Riley Mayfield (North Texas)
With the exception of Kenney, all players signed were undrafted rookies who were inked to deals after participating in their respective teams’ rookie minicamps. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweeted a cool story about Schnell, who’s late father Dave briefly played for the Bills. Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets that Schnell was impressive during minicamp, and that he’ll “get a look” returning kicks in addition to his receiving work.
Langford initially looked promising after entering the league as a fourth round pick of the Bears back in 2015. He opened the 2016 season as Chicago’s starting running back, but he’s struggled with injuries and turned into a journeyman ever since. Drafted only a few years ago, the Falcons were already the fifth stop of his career. He only appeared in one game for the Falcons last year, rushing nine times for 25 yards.
Latest On Falcons’ Devonta Freeman
Injuries kept Devonta Freeman out for almost all of the Falcons’ 2018 season, but the team let Tevin Coleman walk in free agency. This points to confidence in their starter re-emerging from a multi-malady season.
Dan Quinn indeed expects his starting running back to be full-go by training camp, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. The fifth-year Falcons coach said Freeman is set to be ready by the start of camp.
“We can’t wait to get Free back,” Quinn said. “He’s having such an awesome offseason. His energy, his juice, like him being around the team, you feel what he brings.”
Knee, foot and groin injuries derailed Freeman last year. He played in just two games and gained just 91 yards from scrimmage. The 27-year-old back has been working with the Falcons this offseason. He did not undergo offseason knee surgery, Ledbetter adds.
Freeman returning would obviously boost Atlanta’s offense, which may well have two new starting linemen in the mix in first-rounders Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. Atlanta still has Ito Smith, who averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season (compared to Coleman’s 4.5), and Day 3 rookies Qadree Ollison and Marcus Green will vie for backup gigs.
A former fourth-round pick, Freeman became the Falcons’ starter in his second season and made back-to-back Pro Bowls. The Falcons signed him to a five-year, $41.25MM extension in 2017. Freeman signing bonuses are on Atlanta’s books through 2021, making it financially disadvantageous to part ways with the suddenly injury-prone back until that year.
Falcons Sign First-Round Pick Kaleb McGary
The Falcons announced the signing of first-round tackle Kaleb McGary on Thursday. In addition to McGary, the club also inked fourth-round cornerback Kendall Sheffield. 
The Falcons used their first Round 1 pick (No. 14) overall on Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom. But, they weren’t done revamping their offensive line, and they refused to let McGary get away. The Falcons traded their second- and third-round picks to the Rams to move back into the first round and snag McGary at No. 31 overall, giving them an alternative to Ty Sambrailo at right tackle.
Sheffield began his collegiate career at Alabama before taking his talents to Ohio State, where he spent the last two seasons. Last year, he notched 35 tackles and two interceptions, putting him on the NFL radar. He’ll now look to stand out in an Atlanta cornerback group that is without Robert Alford and Brian Poole.
With McGary and Sheffield taken care of, the Falcons have just one straggler left in Lindstrom.